To fight a war
by Uchihaheir58
Summary: A meeting in the DZ leads to a new member of Easy Company. Rated for mention of war and death under construction


**I do not own Band of Brothers and mean no dishonor to the real men of Easy Company nor do I imply to know what they went through or what it is like to fight a war**

**Chapter one: A girl in drop zone**

Sophie was marching through Normandy hoping to get as far away from the German lines as possible when all of sudden the night sky was alight with fire. The Wehrmacht was shooting at planes, hitting some and sending them spiraling down on fire. At first she thought they were bombers until she noticed another thing: there were parachutes in the sky.

"Those are no regular bombers. This is an invasion." She thought and then realized another thing; she was in their drop zone and she had not yet lost the German medic uniform.

"Mist." She cursed in German. Stopping she pulled of her cloak. Under it she wore a green blouse and was shivering in the fresh air of the 6th June 1944. She left on the trousers and boots they did not have any insignia to show she was German. Throwing the cloak into the bushes she continued on hoping not to draw attention to herself.

Leaving the road she was on she took to the forest beside it weaving through the trees.

She heard a sound right above her looking up she was a soldier hanging on his parachute in the trees. He was looking at her and struggling to free himself. He did not seem to be armed with a gun which she guessed was her luck.

She stopped. The soldier now carried a scared expression. She went over to the trunk of the tree.

"I am going to help you." She softly called up to him there were still German soldiers in this woods and she did not wish for their attention.

By the look he sprouted she guessed he noticed the thick German accent she spoke in.

She found a branch thick enough to carry her weight close enough to the ground and started to pull herself up.

She was quite agile and got to the man quite fast. Pulling out her knife to cut him loose he began to struggle again.

"Calm down. I am going to help you." She told him while beginning to cut through the ropes he hung from. He was by now hanging sideward and she feared him falling would not only injure him but also make the Germans notice them.

"Give me your hand. I'll pull you to the trunk." She told him. Hesitantly he did so and she pulled him so he could grab unto a branch. With him secured she cut through the rest of the ropes so he was free.

Before he could say or do anything she climbed down. She was thinking about just running now. He did not have a gun so he could not shoot her in the back but something inside her made her hesitate.

Before she could come to a decision he was next to her gripping her upper arm and pulling her to face him.

"Who are you." He asked once she was looking at his face.

"My name is Sophie." She answered. He had cute eyes she noticed but shook herself internally. This was not the time to think of someone as attractive. When he could kill her any moment now

"You are German?" she saw no point in lying seeing he already knew and nodded.

"Then why did you help me and did not kill me or shout for one of the Germans to do the job for you?"

"Because I do not want them to win this war and because they would shoot me themselves." There it was out now.

'What will he do now?' was her only thought before he took a deep breath and seemingly coming to a decision said "Well consider yourself a POW. You will come with me." At least he did not kill her immediately. And being a POW meant she would be away from the German line and did not have to fear them shooting her anymore.

"So where are we going soldier?" she asked him.

"Sainte- Marie du Mont. You know where that is?" That was where she was heading before she noticed him.

"Yes, actually I do. It's 5 km (~3 miles) in that direction. She pointed in the right direction.

"Then let's get moving." He took her upper arm he had let go off for a moment and pulled her along with him.

They walked side by side in silence for a while. Sophie was lost in thought wondering what would happen to her once they arrived when she noticed that there were no more shots heard meaning they should be clear now. That left her with one problem less but there was still the US Army. Surely they would interrogate her and then what? Execute her? She shook herself out of her thoughts. She really should not think about it too much. To distract herself she turned to the still unnamed soldier.

"So kind Sir, may I have your name?"

The soldier flinched. His mother had brought him up to be a gentleman and even if she was a Kraut woman she still was a woman and should be treated as such and introducing oneself was the least he could do.

"It's Luz, ma'am. George Luz." He tapped his helmed smiling a bit at her.

She too smiled. "Mr Luz, I don't know how this works in America but didn't you miss a bit in that introduction?"

She liked this man despite not knowing him for long and him being a soldier of the USA, call it female intuition. This man was a joker, the one making you laugh when you're down but knowing when to be serious. She did not know how she could say that after him simply introducing himself. Maybe it was the mischievous expression on his face or something about his eyes but she was quite sure of it.

"Excuse me, ma'am. You are of course right I should have introduced myself properly." He grinned.

"Technician 4th Grade George Luz of Easy Company, 2nd battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101. Airborne Division. At your service." He mock- saluted her.

"Did I gain the honour of getting to know your full name, Ms Sophie?" She thought about for a moment what she should tell him. On the one hand he would hate her but he had no gun so he could not shoot her. 'Well he can still kill me bare-handed.' But she could not think like that now.

There was also still the problem with what would happen to her once they arrived. On the other hand it could be better if she told him. Honesty was never wrong, was it? Taking a deep breath she decided to hell with it.

"My name is Feldwebel (1) Sophie Marie Meyer, Medic of the 1st battalion, 1058th Grenadier Regiment, 91st Infanterie-Diviosion, but currently I am a deserter on the run from being shot by my fellow Germans." She had watched his face getting more guarded with every world she spoke only to relax a bit after the last part.

"Deserter huh?" he looked carefully at her. "Why did ya leave?"

"Well Hitler's a crazy bastard and I don't want him to win this war so why let myself be killed for him?"

Luz looked thoughtful for a moment then he grinned at her. "Well makes our jobs easier less krauts to fight."

She smiled at him for making the mood lighten again. "Well I aim to please."

"You are not offended by calling them krauts? I mean you are German." He looked slightly worried for having offended her.

"Why would I be it's not as if we don't have nicknames for you." She let out a small laugh.

They walked a bit in silence until they finally arrived at Sainte-Marie du Mont.

"There we are. I guess I should bring you to HQ now. Once I find it that is."

Pulling her along by the arm which he did not seem to even realise anymore he stopped the man closest to him.

"Where's HQ?" After getting an answer they headed to a barn in near the middle of the village.

She followed him in. Inside someone had put a table between some cattle where some officers stood surrounding it. They seemed to be in a meeting but she could not understand about what they were too far away and they were talking too low for her.

Luz got their attention by coughing and then saluting with a "Sir." They glanced up and returned the salute then they noticed her.

"Sirs, this is Feldwebel Meier from the German Army. What should I do with her?"

"Another POW?" one of the men a major by the looks of it remarked.

"Well technically I came willingly. Sir." She decided now would be the time to speak up. And she really could get used to the astonished looks on their face when they realised she spoke English.

"I have to admit I am curious about how that came to be, Feldwebel." The same man spoke.

"I deserted the Wehrmacht and was on my way as far from the Germans as possible when you decided to drop by. I found this soldier in a tree hanging by a parachute and decided to help him out. Then he took me with him." She pointed to Luz.

"Deserter, huh. Why did you decide to leave?" this was asked by a captain.

"To put it bluntly, Sir, Hitler's crazy and I don't want to die for him. Also I'd rather Germany loose this war than the alternative." The men exchanged gazes. She could guess as to what they thought. 'Is she a spy sent here to gather intelligence or does she really think so?' was what she could read from their faces.

"Sergeant Luz you are dismissed. Join the others of Easy they are around here somewhere." Luz saluted the major and with one last look at Sophie he was out the door.

"So what was it that you thought you could gain by coming here?" the major asked as he gestured for her to come closer to the table. Stepping up she replied "Sir, maybe I could help you. I do not know much about German battle strategies but I learned bit on service. Also I am a medic and maybe could act as a translator for you or carry messages around. I can ride so I would be able to get messages to where it would be difficult with a jeep" it felt weird to be begging to stay with them like this but it had to be done.

The officers looked at each other before the major came to a decision.

"Very well Ms Meier, we are indeed a bit short on medics and translators. You will be a medic foremost and we will call on you if we have need of a translator. Though for now you should consider yourself still a prisoner of war. Now we have to decide which company to place you with."

"Sir." A red headed captain spoke up now. "Permission to request her with Easy."

The major thought for a moment. "Very well, Lieutenant Winters she may join Easy."

"Now before I dismiss you to meet with your company I have a few questions."

Sophie had not expected anything different, in fat she was surprised how nice they were to her.

"Of course, Sir, I will try to answer as much as possible." She nodded at him.

"Good. Now what can you tell me about those flak firing at Brecourt?"

"Do you have a piece of paper and a pencil, Sir?" after receiving what she had asked for she put it on the table leaning forward as the rest of the men did the same.

"They are placed in an L-shape. Two here and two here." She explained while drawing it on the paper placing X's for the 105 mm's. "They are covered by MGs here." Another X.

"Also they are connected by trenches." She drew them as arrows. "They are manned by about 60 men of my company the others were ordered away to Carentan." The Americans looked a bit surprised at hearing that it was her own company she was ratting out.

"What?" she asked at their looks. "I promised information and other than telling you they are beginning to be short of just about everything there is not much I can help you with."

"Very well Ms Meier you are dismissed." She saluted and left the barn to see a few soldiers gathered around the town square.

"Excuse me." She asked a group of baffled soldiers. "Can any of you tell me where Easy Company is?" Even more looks were directed at her before one pointed to a group of men lounging under a tree a few feet over. "Thank you." She turned in that direction.

Getting closer she noticed Luz was with that group of men. She grinned at him.

"Hey Luz, care to introduce me to your friends?"

He looked up startled quite surprised to see her again. Ignoring the wolf whistles of the guys beside him he smiled up at her.

"Hey, you got outta there alive, I see." She laughed. "Yeah, I am a new medic for Easy Company now."

"Wow, that's nice. We got ourselves some female company. Now then these are Shifty, Penkala, Muck and Smokey." He pointed to each man in turn. Shifty waved with a small blush on his cheeks. He seemed to be a bit shy which Sophie found quite cute. Smokey just nodded at her while Penkala and Muck gave her a bit of a leer.

"Guys, this is Sophie Meier, I found her on my way here and brought her with me." She waved at them while they looked a bit startled by her name. If her accent did not give her away her name certainly did.

"You're fucking Kraut." Penkala exclaimed.

"That I am." She nodded. "Still somewhat considered a POW but they decided that I got to make myself useful."

"Well for a Kraut you sure are beautiful. Maybe they are not so bad when their girls are beautiful like you." She blushed a bit. Sure she was not ugly with her copper hair and green eyes, combined with a small frame with long legs, but to have it said to her like this was something different.

She sat as Luz made room for her to.

"So Sophie, where did you learn to speak English?" Muck asked her.

"A British POW taught me actually, when I was home on furlough. "

"Where the hell did you meet a limey POW?" Penkala was curious.

"He was sent to work on the estate close to where I lived. Many POW are made to work in war important occupations. Well, the French, British and American are as you are considered fellow Arians. So sometimes he, a friend of mine and I used to meet up when he was finished with his work and he would teach us English. Maybe one day I'll find out what happened to him." She looked up at the sky.

"Why what happened?" asked Muck.

"He got a bit closer to her if you know what I mean and someone must have ratted them out. There was not much SS in my village so there was not much enforcement of the Nazi idealism. But one day a SS patrol came from the next town over and took them away.(2) The next day I was ordered back to the front" she sighed.

They sat their together each lost in thought until Sophie noticed just how tired she was.

"Well I need to find some place to get a bit of an eye-shut." Sophie stood and went to leave before stopping and turning round. "Oh and Luz did not find me. I found him hanging in a tree." She grinned and left hearing them mocking George behind her.

Walking further into the French town she did not notice the man in front of her until she walked right into him.

Gasping she braced herself for the fall but was surprised when two hands grabbed her upper arms and set her back upright. Opening her eyes she was met with a male chest letting her eyes wander up she first recognised the lieutenant bars and then his eyes. She felt she could get lost in them.

Realising that she was staring she shook herself. "I apologize, lieutenant. I wasn't looking where I was going."

Letting her go he looked deep into her eyes she felt as if he could look right through her into her soul.

"So you are the little German girl they've been talking about. Want a smoke?" he offered her a pack of cigarettes. She nodded and took one which he then lit for her.

"You should look where you are going." And with that he marched away leaving her staring after him.

"I see you met Lieutenant Speirs, Miss Meier." a voice came from behind her. It was the red head that had requested her with Easy. "If you will follow me I'll show you to the aid-station. Our medic can show you everything and then you should get some rest. We'll be moving out soon." He had a soothing voice making her like him instantly.

"Yes, Sir." She followed him as he let her into a barber shop where medics where running around treating the many wounded in the room.

Lieutenant Winters called a man over and talked to him quietly before he turned to her. "I'll leave you in the capable hands of Doc Roe, Miss Meier."

"Please Sir call me Sophie. Miss Meier is my mother." She smiled at him. "Very well Sophie." He replied and she liked the way her name sounded from his lips. Smiling she saluted him and he returned the gesture before leaving.

She turned to the medic. "I am Sergeant Sophie Meier. It's nice to meet you. "

"Eugene Roe. Easy's medic nice to meet you to ma'am." He had a nice accent she could not really place.

"Oh none of that ma'am business. Call me Sophie. So what do you want me to do?" With all that wounded there really was no time for small talk.

"You got any supplies?" she shook her head.

"Follow me." He let her to the supply room and got her what she would need.

"Just look what needs to be done. You have battle experience?" She nodded. "Then you know what to do."

She nodded again and went to work.

As she moved between the rows of cots a hand gripped her trousers.

"Are you an angel?" the man who asked had a whole in his chest. She smoothed his hair and checked when his last dose of morphine was.

"No I am not an angel. I am a medic. I'll take care of you, everything will be alright." While speaking she checked the bandages still running a hand through his hair soothing him enough to fall asleep. That was the best he could do now.

She stood and walked to the next man never noticing the eyes on her watching her treating the men.

It had been a long day for her and she had gotten no sleep for over 24 hours. When she finally got out of the aid-station all she wanted to do was eat something warm and sleep for a week.

She heard laughter coming from truck with a closed flap. Stepping closer to it she heard a familiar voice from within.

She opened the flap sticking her head in seeing the surprised faces she smiled.

"I knew I heard a familiar voice. How is it going Penkala?" she asked but the men seemed to be speechless.

"Mind if I join you?" that seemed to shake them out of their stupor.

"You can join us any time you want to." The one closest to the edge leered at her and then moved to help her up.

"Uh it stinks." She held a hand over her nose though her hand stunk of blood so that was not much better.

"yeah, that's Malarkey's ass." Penkala said.

"And just who is Malarkey? I don't think we met."

"Oh I'm sorry. Sophie these are Buck Compton, a good-looking blond, Bill Guarnere, Joe Toye, Joe Liebgott, Donald Malarkey and Lipton the others you already know. Guys this is Sophie Meier. A German POW and our new medic."

"German huh" Malarkey said. "Be careful when you meet Lieutenant Speirs." She looked at him in question. "Story is he offered a group of POWs a cigarette even gave them fire and then he swings his Thompson around and kills the lot of them. Heard there were twenty and they were guarded and everything."

She scoffed "I don't believe you guys. He already offered me a smoke and here I am. Don't believe everything you hear in a war someone always tells stories he heard from someone who was there and if you ask him he always says he heard it from someone else who was there."

They talked and laughed for a while and Sophie felt as if she was already integrated into the group until Liebgott who sat quietly in the back the whole time suddenly stood.

"God let me outta here." He climbed over everyone stepping on Toyes legs on the way and left. She heard his lighter clicking on as he walked away. "Light discipline. Guarnere close the flap." Lipton said as Guarnere did what he said.

"What was that? Was it because of me?" Sophie was worried that she caused an argument in the group.

"Just ignore him Sophie. It's not your fault he is always a bit grumpy. Doesn't help that he hates Germans." Penkala reassured her.

"Nonsense." Guarnere said. "I hate them Krauts too. But I like our little Miss Sophie here." He smiled at her.

Just then another head appeared under the flap.

"Uh, what died in here?" it was Winters.

"Malarkey's ass." They laughed and even Winters grinned.

"Anything from Lieutenant Meehan, Sir." Asked Compton. Winters just shook his head.

"Does that not make you our CO?" Compton continued. "Guess it does." the short reply was. Toye handed over the bottle of alcohol they had been sharing between them.

"Joe the lieutenant don't drink." He was told but to everyone's surprise he took the bottle. "It's been a day of firsts wasn't it, Guarnere?" Sophie got the impression that something passed between them as their eyes met and Guarnere nodded.

Winters gave the bottle back after not quite being able to hide his grimace at the burning feeling and turned to leave but turned back around. "Oh Sergeant Meier thank you for the information it was most helpful." She nodded at him and his head disappeared only to appear again a second later.

"Oh and Sergeant Guarnere. I'm not a Quaker." With that he was gone while the truck broke into laughter.

"What did he mean with information?" asked Luz who had been surprisingly quiet the whole time. "My old company was stationed at Brecourt manor. I told the officers everything I could about the post."

Most of the men looked down. "We took Brecourt manor today."

She recognised the guilty looks on their faces. "Guys I knew what would happen with that information don't feel guilty about that. They are the same as every other German you will meet in this war." She smiled at them and tried to hide her guilt. She had actually known these men and had sold them. She felt as if it was her fault that they were dead.

Compton interrupted her thoughts when he spoke up. "How are we doing Malarkey?"

Malarkey tasted a bit of the food on a spoon. "We're doing well."

"Oh what do you know of cooking. You're Irish." Compton told him.

"If you have a reservation somewhere else I'll be happy to join you, Sir." Malarkey deadpanned.

He turned back to stirring whatever he had cooking in an empty ammo box.

"Damn Germans can cook their own food." They heard him mumble.

"Hey Sophie, why are you not cooking this?" asked Guarnere. "I mean you are a woman and you are a Kraut. You must know how to prepare this shit."

"Well you are doing so well with cooking it yourself and just because I am a girl and German does not mean that I can cook." She smiled at him. She could in fact cook but tonight she was happy to have another cook something for her, even if it smelled badly.

Malarkey was now handing out the food to everyone and she hesitantly took a bit.

"Not as bad as it smells though my mother's cooking is better." She smiled at Malarkey to show she meant no offense. He simply smiled back.

Morning came and they were sitting under a memorial when they heard voices.

"I know that voice." Muck said and sat up. "Hey, hey look who finally arrived."

Three men were standing before them. "Nice of you to join us, Talb."

Sophie sat back as the men beside her stood up to greet their friends. "The one with the kraut poncho is Floyd Talbert, the one next to him is Tipper and the blond one a bit behind is Blythe." A voice said from right beside her ear. She turned her head to look at Luz.

They smiled at each other and Luz turned to introduce her but Lipton was faster.

"Easy company on me. We're moving out again gather up." They sighed and headed over. "We only just came here." Toye grumbled as he walked beside her. "That's war for you. No time to rest." Sophie answered.

"Sounds as if you were in the army for a long time."

"It certainly feels longer but I was drafted after I finished medic school in 1940."

Toye let out the air between his teeth. "That is quite some time."

By now they all stood around Lipton.

"Alright. Fox Company is in front of us. First platoon on the move you guys from second and third after us. Dog will be behind us."

"Where are we going, Sir?" asked a private Sophie did not know yet.

"We're taking Carentan. It's the only place where we can bring supplies upcountry so long the guys are stuck on the sand." Lipton replied and Sophie had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Carentan was where the rest of her old company was at and they too knew how important the city was.

"I'll take lead." A sergeant said.

"Sergeant Hoobler is lead scout. Let's move and I want light and noise discipline and no grab fanny with the guy in front of you, Luz."

Luz grinned. "Well I'll just have to play with Sophie."

"You will not if you wish to still have your balls tomorrow." She smirked right back at him before turning and joining others without Luz having an opportunity to reply.

She heard Lipton's voice over the others. "Glad you could join us Blythe." But she was unable to hear the reply as George started imitating voices.

"Give me three days and three nights of hard fighting and you will be rewarded." He came closer to the group that now had started moving.

"Another thing to remember boys, flies spread disease so keep yours closed." Sophie giggled as a few others chuckled.

She was right Luz really had the ability to make you smile in every situation.

**AN: I wrote this story in honor ****of my great uncle who was a soldier in WW II and died last week. I just felt the need to write down the stories he and my grandmother told me so some of what Sophie says is actually true. I will try to mark the true ones so you'll know fact from fiction. Although some are supplemented by what I researched myself as my grandmother was only 10 when the war ended and my great Uncle did not tell too many details though I understand the reason behind it.**

**Translation and**** background**** Information:**

Feldwebel is equal to a sergeant in the US Army I think, at least they are NCOs

A story my grandmother told me about a British POW in the village she grew up in. Just think Sophie away.


End file.
